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A group of friends in Philadelphia have deep conversations about literature and art, questioning the purpose of knowledge.
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'Classical Period' is a portrait of Cal and his friends in Philadelphia. They meet and have long conversations about books, poetry, music, and architecture, most notably Henry Longfellow's 1864 translation of Dante's Divine Comedy . Filmed in rich, grainy 16mm color, the film forefronts character and portraiture, leaving the artificial trappings of narrative cinema behind.
"In Ted Fendt's movie 'Outside Noise', a group of young people have academic discussions: some seem to just show off their knowledge, while others seek it out for pure pleasure. But in portraying these conversations, 'Classical Period' reaches a deep question: what is the purpose of obtaining knowledge? Why do we give ourselves to its pursuit, when others seem not to care? The film arrives at paradoxical answers, becoming a kind of nihilistic manifesto, but no less valuable for that: it is itself a fascinating intellectual exercise."